Dance, Diversity, and Drag: Solotel's Lineup For Sydney Mardi Gras 2024 Revealed

Sydney hospitality group Solotel is set to turn up the vibrancy for the upcoming Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in a slew of celebrations.

Celebrating across seven of its iconic venues, including Abercrombie, Kings Cross Hotel, Darlo Bar, Marly, The Clock, The Bank, and GOROS, Solotel is gearing up for an unforgettable Mardi Gras season under the theme "OUR FUTURE, YOUR LOCAL."

Kicking off on February 18, The Bank will host its annual Fair Day party, featuring DJs and drag performances in the afternoon, followed by the WOODY's Bear event upstairs in WAYWARDS. Abercrombie will keep the party going with a late-night afterparty, a collaboration between Heaps Gay and GiRLTHING (free entry before 5pm).

Every Wednesday during Mardi Gras, GOROS will host the renowned karaoke competition "Sing It, Betch!" led by the fabulous Milan Swaay. Lip Sync Battles will spice up Kings Cross Hotel on February 23-24 and March 1, and following the ballroom extravaganza Sissy Ball on February 24, Kings Cross Hotel will host "The Aftermath," a late-night community-led afterparty filled with flair, finesse, and high drama.

As the Mardi Gras weekend approaches, Abercrombie will host "Show Us Ya Tips" on February 29, a sex and body-positive show by The Dollar Bin Darlings raising funds for the Sex Workers Outreach Project.

March 1 brings a techno takeover with BARBA PARTY: Venus at Kings Cross Hotel, and Abercrombie will be on fire with DJ sets from Queer House Collective, featuring Montreal's Hadaxxh, Ata2ud (Melbourne), Venus Verified (Brisbane), and Jason Conti (Melbourne).

The highly-anticipated Parade Night on March 2 promises a thrilling transformation of GOROS with an RnB, Afro, and hip-hop free party hosted by CLUB THIQUE.

Dykes on Bikes, one of Australia's oldest and most renowned LGBTQIA+ clubs, will take over WAYWARDS for their afterparty after leading the Parade route. Abercrombie pledges to keep the dance floor alive until the early morning, running until 9 am with an array of local queer artists and performers.

Curated by influential queer creatives Xander Khoury (Xaddy Silky) and Leslie Tiku (Camp Minister), Solotel's Mardi Gras program prioritises the importance of fostering safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ people, especially those within the trans, Black, Indigenous, and PoC communities.

Solotel's Chief Marketing Officer, Robert Squillacioti, expressed his excitement about being part of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2024, saying: “Solotel has a longstanding connection with the local LGBTQIA+ community through so many of our venues and our incredible team.”

“Being a part of Sydney WorldPride last year was an unforgettable experience and so we’re thrilled to partner with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2024 and provide unique, safe, and fun spaces for the queer community to celebrate."